Instagram/Gennica Cochran Gennica Cochran pictured on her Instagram page.
Gennica Cochran is the server who demanded that Michael Lofthouse leave the Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley, California, on July 4. The incident was captured on video and spread across the world. The video shows one of the servers at the Bernardus Lodge’s Lucia restaurant confronting Lofthouse and demanding that he leave.
According to members of the Chan family, who were at the restaurant celebrating a birthday party, Lofthouse had been spewing racial slurs at the group all night. The woman who posted the original video of the incident, Jordan Chan, said in an interview with KION that Lofthouse was drunk during the incident. In an interview with The Daily Mail, Lofthouse’s mother, Linda, confirmed that her son “has an addiction problem” and referred to him as a “loose cannon.”
Lofthouse has responded to the scandal in a statement via The Daily Mail:
My behavior in the video is appalling. This was clearly a moment where I lost control and made incredibly hurtful and divisive comments.
I would like to deeply apologize to the Chan family. I can only imagine the stress and pain they feel. I was taught to respect people of all races, and I will take the time to reflect on my actions and work to better understand the inequality that so many of those around me face.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident, KION reported, adding that the Chan family has opted not to request prosecution.
Cochran lives in the area around Carmel Valley with her husband, Mike Cochran. Heavy has reached out to Cochran for comment.
Cochran Has Been Described as Displaying ‘Passionate Fury’ Against Lofthouse
In the video, Cochran tells Lofthouse, “Get out of here! You are not allowed here! You don’t talk to our guests like that! You need to leave right now! Get out! You are not allowed here ever again!” Cochran also refers to the Chan family as the restaurant’s “valued guests.”
As a result of her stand, a man named Jeremy Stephens started a GoFundMe page to honor Cochran. Stephens writes in the description of the page that it is important to stand up to racists, and it’s just as important to “lift up the people who stand up to defend those who are on the receiving end of such racism.” After two days, the fundraiser had received more than $41,000. The original goal of the page was $1,000.
Stephens described Cochran as displaying “passionate fury” against Lofthouse. He added that Cochran could have put her job at risk with her words. A friend of Cochran’s who donated to the cause commented on the video:
Gennica!! When I saw this video without knowing it was you I just said “Wow!” and when I found out it was you I wasn’t too surprised. I miss you and I love you and your BIG heart! Thank you so much for standing up to this racism. It means more than you know.
A second GoFundMe page has raised close to $5,000 for Cochran.
Cochran Said She Felt ‘Protective’ of Chan & Her Family
In an interview with a local ABC affiliate, Cochran said she felt very “protective” of Chan and her family. Cochran added, “You don’t come in here and say those kinds of things to people. Especially people feel so raw coming out of quarantine.”
Cochran added that her decision to confront Lofthouse was “just something that came over me and I just did what needed to be done. I did what anybody else should or would do in that situation.”
Cochran Said She Has Dedicated Her Life to ‘Service, Compassion & Grace’
Instagram/Gennica Cochran
In addition to working as a server at the Bernardus Lodge, Cochran seems to be better known as a yoga teacher in the Carmel Valley area. According to one online profile, Cochran is “a 500+ hour certified teacher.” Cochran learned her craft at the Mount Madonna School of Yoga in 2010. That bio says Cochran was influenced by Indian yoga master Baba Hari Dass to live a life dedicated to “service, compassion, and grace.”
The profile goes on to say that Cochran encourages her students to “explore their practice with intention, focus and humility.” The piece adds that Cochran wants her students to understand they are “powerful, connected, intuitive beings.” The profile gives Cochran’s “Favorite Escape” as hiking Garland Ranch Park, which is located a mile west of the Bernardus Lodge in the Carmel Valley.
Cochran Maintains a Blog Dedicated to Her Yoga Teaching Named ‘Cosmic Toro’
Cochran maintains a blog dedicated to her yoga teaching career named Cosmic Toro. One review of Cochran’s class said she teaches “a great Vinyasa class with excellent queuing and intention that’s still playful.”
On the Instagram page associated with her blog, Cochran wrote in the bio that she is “shining like a fiery beacon.”
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